Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly acetate, propionate and butyrate, are mainly produced by anaerobic fermentation of gut microbes. SCFAs play an important role in regulating energy ...metabolism and energy supply, as well as maintaining the homeostasis of the intestinal environment. In recent years, many studies have shown that SCFAs demonstrate physiologically beneficial effects, and the signalling pathways related to SCFA production, absorption, metabolism, and intestinal effects have been discovered. Two major signalling pathways concerning SCFAs, G-protein-coupled receptors (GPRCs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs), are well recognized. In this review, we summarize the recent advances concerning the biological properties of SCFAs and the signalling pathways in inflammation and glucose and lipid metabolism.
Synthetic insecticides are effective in controlling insect pests but can also harm nontarget organisms and the environment. During the last 40 years, there has been an increasing interest in ...alternative insecticides, particularly those derived from plants, commonly known as botanical insecticides. However, commercially available botanical insecticides remain limited. Rotenone is one of the earliest identified compounds and was used as fish poison and pest management. Due to its link with Parkinson disease, the use of rotenone was banned in many developed countries. Rotenone used to be isolated from Derris spp. and Lonchocarpus spp., and it can also be isolated from Tephrosia species. In this article, we present basic botanical information on selected Tephrosia species and their major compounds related to insecticidal activities and highlight the current use of extracts derived from some species, Tephrosia vogelii in particular, for control of insect pests in stored grains and crop production. The crude extracts contain multiple bioactive compounds, mainly rotenone, deguelin, rotenolone, and tephrosin, which act in either additive or synergistic fashion, resulting in effective control of insect pests. There are about 400 species in the genus Tephrosia, and species and even strains or variants vary greatly in these active compounds. We argue that a systematic evaluation of bioactive compounds in different species are needed, and species or strains with high insecticidal activities should be selected for use in the sustainable control of insect pests.
Adropin, a secretory signal peptide, has shown beneficial effects on improving glucose homeostasis and dyslipidemia. However, whether this peptide affects nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has ...remained unclear. In this study, the serum adropin levels, liver injury and oxidative stress were measured in diet-induced NASH mice. Adropin knock-out mice and palmitate treated primary hepatic cells were used to investigate the influence of adropin on liver injury. Our results show that serum adropin levels were decreased and negatively correlated with liver injury in NASH mice. Knockout of adropin significantly exacerbated hepatic steatosis, inflammatory responses and fibrosis in mice after either methionine-choline deficient diet (MCD) or western diet (WD) feeding. And the treatment with adropin bioactive peptides ameliorated NASH progression in mice. Adropin alleviated hepatocyte injury by upregulating the expression of Gclc, Gclm, and Gpx1 in a manner dependent on Nrf2 transcriptional activity and by increasing the glutathione (GSH) levels. And adropin significantly increased CBP expression and promoted its binding with Nrf2, which enhanced Nrf2 transcriptional activity. Furthermore, AAV8-mediated overexpression of hepatic Nrf2 expression functionally restored the liver injury induced by adropin-deficiency MCD-fed mice. These findings provide evidence that adropin activates Nrf2 signaling and plays a protective role in liver injury of NASH and therefore might represent a novel target for the prevention and treatment of NASH.
Thioarsenic species are widely existed in transitional environments with varying redox potential such as hot springs and paddy fields, where arsenite, sulfide and thioarsenites may be exposed to ...ambient air. However, arsenic speciation, especially the kinetics of arsenic transformation in such scenarios are not well studied. Here we present results from both kinetic experiments and computational information on the formation mechanisms of thioarsenic species from the sulfide-driven oxidation of arsenite (13.3 μM) under air atmosphere at circumneutral pH (6.5–10.5, covering the usual groundwater pH range). Ion chromatography-hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (IC-HG-AFS) was used for the determination of non-thiolated arsenic and thioarsenate species as well as indirect identification of thioarsenites at environmentally relevant As concentration. Results showed that the ambient air facilitated the thiolation and oxidation of arsenite, during which thioarsenites were served as intermediates. It was supported by our ab initio DFT calculation showing that the activity towards oxidation was in the order of: monothioarsenite > dithioarsenite > trithioarsenite > arsenite. The thiolation of arsenite was decreased with pH with a rate constant of 0.2–1.7 h−1; while the oxidation of thioarsenites by air was increased with pH with a rate constant of 0.1–0.45 h−1. The results of this study shall improve our mechanistic understanding on the formation of thioarsenic, and shed light on the potential intermediate roles played by thioarsenites in environments with varying redox potential or intermittent anoxia, such as paddy fields, peatlands, hot springs etc.
Display omitted
•The concentration of thioarsenite species is indirectly estimated.•Kinetic constants of arsenite thiolation and thioarsenites oxidation are determined.•The reaction activity between (thio)arsenites and O2 is modeled by ab initio DFT.•Intermediate role of thioarsenites in S(–II)-driven As(III) oxidation is revealed.
Whether airport groups develop synergistically has become a concern for the aviation industry. Existing studies have neglected the dynamic comprehensive evaluation and analysis of influencing factors ...of synergy degree. Taking the synergistic development of airport groups as the research perspective, we integrate the dynamic comprehensive evaluation model into the traditional synergy model. From two dimensions of airport development and regional economy, we measured the static synergy degree of the Chengdu-Chongqing airport group and the dynamic synergetic development degree on the overall time series. Further, using a spatial econometric model, we construct a distance economy-nested spatial weight matrix so as to explore the influence of each indicator on the synergy degree of the composite system. The results show that the overall synergy of the Chengdu-Chongqing airport group is above 0.5 in terms of static synergy degree. The clustering spectrum shows that the Chengdu-Chongqing airport group can be divided into three categories and basically forms the characteristic of “two main and multiple auxiliary airports.” In terms of dynamic synergetic development degree and comprehensive evaluation value, the change speed of synergy degree is relatively smooth in the early stage and fluctuates in the later stage, and the overall dynamic evaluation value of the Chongqing regional airports is high. The effects of the explanatory variables of the airport group composite system on the synergy degree show more direct effects than spillover effects, and the direct effects are all positive feedback effects, while the negative spillover effects of the explanatory variables cannot be ignored.
Long-chain noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are RNAs that do not code for proteins, widely present in eukaryotes. They regulate gene expression at multiple levels through different mechanisms at epigenetic, ...transcription, translation, and the maturation of mRNA transcripts or regulation of the chromatin structure, and compete with microRNAs for binding to endogenous RNA. Adipose tissue is a large and endocrine-rich functional tissue in mammals. Excessive accumulation of white adipose tissue in mammals can cause metabolic diseases. However, unlike white fat, brown and beige fats release energy as heat. In recent years, many lncRNAs associated with adipogenesis have been reported. The molecular mechanisms of how lncRNAs regulate adipogenesis are continually investigated. In this review, we discuss the classification of lncRNAs according to their transcriptional location. lncRNAs that participate in the adipogenesis of white or brown fats are also discussed. The function of lncRNAs as decoy molecules and RNA double-stranded complexes, among other functions, is also discussed.
As a natural enemy of green peach aphids, harlequin ladybirds, Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), are also indirectly affected by azadirachtin. In this study, we evaluated the ...effects of ladybird exposure to azadirachtin through azadirachtin-treated aphids. About 2 mg/L azadirachtin treated aphid can deliver the azadirachtin to ladybird larvae in 12 and 24 h. And azadirachtin treatment affected the rate at which fourth instar larvae and adult ladybirds preyed on aphids. Furthermore, the antifeedant effect increased with increasing azadirachtin concentrations. Twelve hours after exposing fourth instar ladybird larvae to aphids treated with 10 mg/L azadirachtin, the antifeedant effect was 47.70%. Twelve hours after exposing adult ladybirds to aphids treated with 2 mg/L azadirachtin, the antifeedant effect was 67.49%. Forty-eight hours after exposing ladybird larvae to azadirachtin-treated aphids, their bodyweights were 8.37 ± 0.044 mg (2 mg/L azadirachtin), 3.70 ± 0.491 mg (10 mg/L azadirachtin), and 2.39 ± 0.129 mg (50 mg/L azadirachtin). Treatment with azadirachtin affected the ability of ladybirds to prey on aphids. The results indicated that the instant attack rate of ladybird larvae and adults and the daily maximum predation rate were reduced by azadirachtin treatment. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and peroxide (CAT) enzyme activities of ladybirds were affected after feeding on aphids treated with azadirachtin. Azadirachtin has certain antifeedant effects on ladybirds and affects the ability of ladybirds to prey on aphids and the activities of SOD, POD, and CAT enzymes, which results in inhibition of normal body development.
Display omitted
•Azadirachtin is a threat to Harmonia axyridis.•Azadirachtin has antifeedant activity against Harmonia axyridis.•Azadirachtin affects predatory ability and enzyme activity of Harmonia axyridis.
Betaine is a natural compound present in commonly consumed foods and may have a potential role in the regulation of glucose and lipids metabolism. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of its ...action remains largely unknown. Here, we show that supplementation with betaine contributes to improved high-fat diet (HFD)-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis and increases anti-obesity strains such as Akkermansia muciniphila, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium. In mice lacking gut microbiota, the functional role of betaine in preventing HFD-induced obesity, metabolic syndrome, and inactivation of brown adipose tissues are significantly reduced. Akkermansia muciniphila is an important regulator of betaine in improving microbiome ecology and increasing strains that produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Increasing two main members of SCFAs including acetate and butyrate can significantly regulate the levels of DNA methylation at host miR-378a promoter, thus preventing the development of obesity and glucose intolerance. However, these beneficial effects are partially abolished by Yin yang (YY1), a common target gene of the miR-378a family. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that betaine can improve obesity and associated MS via the gut microbiota-derived miR-378a/YY1 regulatory axis, and reveal a novel mechanism by which gut microbiota improve host health.
Despite the identification of driver mutations leading to the initiation of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), the molecular pathogenesis of MPNs remains incompletely understood. Here, we ...demonstrate that growth arrest and DNA damage inducible gamma (GADD45g) is expressed at significantly lower levels in patients with MPNs, and JAK2V617F mutation and histone deacetylation contribute to its reduced expression. Downregulation of GADD45g plays a tumor-promoting role in human MPN cells. Gadd45g insufficiency in the murine hematopoietic system alone leads to significantly enhanced growth and self-renewal capacity of myeloid-biased hematopoietic stem cells, and the development of phenotypes resembling MPNs. Mechanistically, the pathogenic role of GADD45g insufficiency is mediated through a cascade of activations of RAC2, PAK1 and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways. These data characterize GADD45g deficiency as a novel pathogenic factor in MPNs.
Zn(II) enhances the adsorption of arsenate in heavy metal wastewater onto iron oxides, but the effect of Zn(II) on the removal of As during the oxidation of As(III) to As(V), corresponding to ...remediation of As-rich acid mine drainage (AMD) via oxidation-precipitation method, is still unclear. The rapid and efficient removal of As from As-rich AMD in the co-existence of Zn(II) was conducted through oxygen-induced abio-oxidation of Fe(II) and As(III) at slightly acidic to alkaline pH in this work. After 8-h reactions, arsenic removal and arsenite oxidation efficiencies reached 91.9–99.9% and 34.6–63.8%, which showed an evident rise at first and then decreased as the pH increased from 3 to 9. Maximum As removal and oxidation with the As-leaching stable solid product was observed at pH 5. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) contents involving Fenton-like reaction degree and solid product species were controlled by pH for As(III), As(V), Fe(II), Fe(III) and Zn(II) liquid-solid distribution as the probable mechanism. Almost all of arsenic and zinc were mainly immobilized by the produced Zn(II)–As(III + V)-bearing SO4-ferrihydrite at pH 5 with the higher short-term stability of the final solid due to higher As(V) in solid-phase and a small amount of zinc hydrogen arsenate produced. At higher pH, adsorbed-Zn(II) competition with ROS for solid surface sites negatively affected the Fenton-like reaction process for unstable Zn(II)–As(III + V)-bearing magnetite, causing the decrease of As removal and oxidation.
•pH is important to the removal of As from As-rich AMD in the co-existence of Zn(II).•91.9–99.9% and 34.6–63.8% of As removal and oxidation occur in 8 h at pH 3–9.•pH 5 is optimal for maximum As removal and oxidation with lowest As-leaching solid.•Zn(II)–As(III + V)-bearing SO4-ferrihydrite is mainly formed for As fixation at pH 5.•Zn(II) existence promote the increase of the stability of the solid product at pH 5.
PDF
